Shelf retaining means



June 1, 1965 A. R. COSTANTINI ETAL ,3

SHELF RETAINING MEANS Filed April 5, 1962 lNVENTOR. ANTHONY R.COSTANTINI BY awru u mnussws A 7 TOP/V15 K United States Patent ceManufacturing Corporation, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 185,289 1Claim. (Cl. 108-146) The present invention relates to shelf assembliesfor refrigerators and other cabinets, and more particuiarly relates to anovel device for locking a shelf in operative position.

In shelf assemblies as heretofore constructed it has been the commonpractice to provide supports removably attached to apertured pilastersor posts to permit vertical adjustment of the shelf spacing. The shelvesare seated on these supports in such manner that they are freelyremovable for cleaning and the like. The substantially loose mountingpresents a problem where the refrigerator or other cabinet is handledfor shipping in that the shelves can become readily dislodged from theirsupports and cause damage to the cabinet interior, thus making repairsnecessary after delivery to a customer. Such damage can be substantialand take the form of dents, gouges, cuts, scratches and finish chipping,all to the considerable annoyance of the customer and expense to theshipper. As an alternative, the shelves must be separately packed toprevent such damage, and the incident packing cost must be reflected inhigher prices, reduced profits, or both.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novelquickly attachable and removable locking device effective to interlock ashelf, its support and a pilaster as a complete unitary assembly.

A further object is to avoid cabinet damage by providing a novelspring-biased locking device as an attachment coacting with a shelf andits supports to prevent such shelf from being dislodged during shipmentof the refrigerator or cabinet having such an assembly.

Another object is to provide a novel locking device as aforesaid whichmay also be continued in use by the customer if desired as a shelfretaining means, the locking device being of simple construction andeconomical of manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become clear froma reading of the following specification in conjunction with anexamination of the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator with the doors open toshow the general environment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one form of pilaster engaging shelfsupport bracket as viewed from one side;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the bracket seen in FIGURE 2 as viewedfrom the opposite side;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one corner of a shelfof the refrigerator shown in FIG- URE 1 seated upon its associatedsupport bracket which is carried by one of the pilasters shown inhorizontal section, as would be seen when viewed along line 5-5 ofFIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 7showing the shelf supporting and locking assembly according to theinvention in both initial unsecured and final secured positions; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the shelfsupporting and locking assembly embodying the invention as would be seenwhen viewed on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

3,185,364 Patented June 1, 1965 In the several figures, like elementsare denoted by like reference characters.

Referring now to the drawings, a refrigerator 10 is shown in FIGURE 1 asan example of the use of the in vention, the same being shown with thedoors open to show the shelf assemblies. The interior walls generallydesignated as 11 define the respective compartments, and have twoparallel pairs of metal pilasters of channel section attached verticallyto facing walls and in transverse compartment alignment. As best seen inFIGURE 7, each pilaster 12 is provided with a lengthwise row of alignedspaced holes 13 by which shelf supporting clip-in brackets 17 can beselectively located to define a desired spacing of the shelves 14.Preferably, but not necessarily, the pilaster holes 13 are of squareconfiguration to provide lower horizontal supporting edges for the shelfsupporting brackets 17, the holes 13 of the pilasters 12 being inhorizontal alignment for level shelf support. As shown, the shelves 14are of open grill construction for ventilation and circulation, eachshelf including a rectangular frame 15 supporting transversely extendingmembers 16 secured thereto in parallel spaced apart relation. Preferablythe frame 15 and transverse members 16 are of circular section rodstock.

As a means for supporting the respective shelves 14, a plurality ofV-shaped brackets 17 are provided, of which four are used for each shelfwith one bracket being supported by each of the pilasters. As best seenin FIG- URES 2 and 3, each bracket 17 is formed by a horizontallyextending short leg 18 and a longer leg 20 formed integrally therewithand depending at an acute angle thereto, the leg 18 terminating in adown turned finger 21 and the leg 211 terminating in a reduced widthextension 22. Both the finger 21 and the extension 22 are widthwisedimensioned to pass respectively through selected pilaster holes 13, andthe angle between the legs 18 and 20 is such that, consideredvertically, the finger 21 can enter one hole 13 and the extension 22 canbe inserted in the next lower adjacent hole 13. When so positioned, theleg 18 is supported substantially in a horizontal position by means ofthe down turned shoulders 23 of the leg 20 laterally offset from thebase of the extension 22, which shoulders engage the pilasters 12laterally of the holes 13. The leg 18, has an car 24 struck mediallyupward therefrom in spaced relation to the finger 21 to serve as amotion limiting stop for shelf frame 15 to prevent the shelf fromsliding off of the brackets.

In assembling the brackets 17 on a pilaster 12, a pair of holes 13 areselected for supporting a shelf in the desired position, and the finger21 of one bracket is inserted through the selected hole 13 while theextension 22 is pressed through the next lower hole 13 with theshoulders 23 seated against the pilaster laterally of such hole 13. Theother bracket of the pair is similarly mounted upon the opposite alignedpilaster 12. With four of the brackets 17 in place the horizontal legs18 lie in the same plane and provide the necessary support for a shelf.Obviously such support is stable only as long as the refrigerator orother body is in its normal position for use, but when tilted or turnedupside down, as occurs in handling and shipping, the shelf becomesdislodged and causes sometimes serious damage to the cabinet interior aspreviously pointed out.

In order to prevent such damage, the present invention provides a shelflocking means in the form of a springwire latching clip, the clip beingshown in FIGURES 6 and 7 as comprising a straight body length 25 formedat the upper end with an arcuate offset 26 which terminates in a catchillustrated as a reversely bent hook 27. The opposite end of the length25 is bent outwardly into the plane of the offset 26 as an end loop 28dimensioned to pass through a selected pilaster hole 13. The free end ofthe loop 28 projects reversely to the opposite side of the length 25Where it is bent into an eye 29. The overall length of the so-formcdspringwire latching clip is such that the hook 2'7 may be engaged in thehole 13 Within which is disposed the finger 21 of bracket 17, the offset26 extending over the adjacent side of the shelf frame 15 and leg 18 ofbracket 17 (as indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 6) With the bodylength 25 extending downward therefrom. The body length 25 is nowtensioned by snapping the loop 28 through the hole 13 next below thehole in Which the extension 22 of the bracket 17 is located. As so set,the loop 28 and eye 29 coact With the pilaster 12 to latch thespringwire clip in place With its tensioned body part firmly pressedagainst the V- shaped junction of the 'legs 18 and 20 of the mountedbracket 17. Thus, the shelf frame 15 and its support brackets 17 areboth effectively interlocked with the apertured pilaster 12.

Having now described our invention with reference to a particularlyillustrated embodiment thereof it will be apparent that modifications ofthe same may now occur from time to time to those persons normallyskilled in the art without departing from the essential spirit or scopeof the invention, and accordingly it is intended to claim the samebroadly as well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claim.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

An assembly comprising in combination, a pilaster having a row oflengthwise-aligned spaced holes formed in one wall thereof, apilaster-carried shelf support bracket formed by first and second legs,a hook on said first leg to engage said pilaster through a selectedpilaster hole, an extension on said second leg projectable into anotherpilaster hole and pilaster wall engaging means on said second legdisposed laterally of said extension to support said bracket with saidfirst leg projecting horizontally from said pilaster, a shelf seatableon said bracket first leg, a springwire latching clip positionable aboutsaid bracket and a part of said shelf, and means on said clip coactingwith said pilaster through a pair of said spaced pilaster holes forlocking said shelf and bracket to said pilaster.

References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,93 8,217 12/33Darbyshire 248-250 1,967,455 7/ 34 Summers 248-250 2,359,109 9/44 Hormes108-109 2,374,658 5/45 Bales 211-153 2,453,387 11/48 Rundell 211- X2,839,350 6/58 Hill et a1. 312-351 2,957,671 10/60 Messier 248-2232,992,800 7/61 Madson 248-223 3,066,902 12/62 Conil 248-223 3,069,12212/62 Babajoif 248-223 3,110,536 11/63 Constantini et al 312-351 X FRANKB. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

